Cornet-mouthpiece.



mermav Feb. 15; 1910.

H. L. LENHERR.

CORNET MOUTHPIEE.

APPLIOATION FILED 1350.16, 190e. 949,021.

@Wengo HARRY L. LENHERR, OF MERCERSBURG. PENNSYLVANIA.

CORNET-BTOUTHPIECE.

sintesi.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 16, 1968.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

Serial No. 467,863.

To @ZZ whom it may] concern:

,lie it known that l'. Hanni' li. Lnnunnn, a ciliL/.en ot the United States, residing at Merershnrgn in the county ot Franklin. State ot nsyl nula. have invented certain new and useful improvements in Cornet-Mouthpieces; and i do hereby declare the tollowing lo be a tull, clear, and exact description ot the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

This invention relaties to imi'n'oveinents in the month pieces ot wind instruments. such as cornets and the li ke. which are sounded by blowing into the same, and has tor one ot its ohieets to in'oduce a mouth piece whereby the tones are controlled by the pressiire ot the lips against the mouth piece to thereby incrcinse or decrease the depth ot the bowl` or the tlaring outer end oit the mouth piece.

Another obiect ot the invention is to produce a simply constructed device whereby the adjustment oi the mouth piece is accomplished entirely by the pressure ot the lips ot the pertormer and without removing the lips troni the mouth piece so that the operation may be light l or as hard as desired.

nother object oit the invention is to produce a simply iizonstrncted device wl'iereby the movement ot the mouth piece is accomplished entirely b v the pressure of the lips of the pertormer to enable a hard 7 or soft tone vto be produced and without removing the Alips troni Vthe lip cup portion of the month piece.

lilith these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain. novel. features ot construction as hereafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claim, and in the drawings illustrative oit the preferred embodiment ot the invention,

Figure l is a side elevation of the improved device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section ot the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4lis a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. VFig. is a sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, illustrating the manner of arranging the device as a rigid mouth piece,

The improved device comprises a stem termed with a shank adapted to be coupled to the instrument in the ordinary manner and provided with a cylindrical portion 11 at the other end and with a longitudinal bore l2 tiaring outwardly at the cylindrical end as shown at i3, and provided with an inti-irniediate threaded portion lele. the cylindrical portion il likewise provided with an external longitudinal slot l5.

lilitting over the stem a sleeve ttornied with a reduced portion i6 at one end and a `flaring portion 17 at the other endr the reduced portion being internally threaded to engage over the threaded portion lvl ot the stem. The enlarged portion i? ot the sleerc thus provides a relatively large space between the sleeve and the stem opposite the. inner part. or the cylindrical portion il as shown.

`ilidably engaging over the cylindrical portion 'il ot the stem is a lip cup represented as a whole at 18, with the tlaring outer end 19 conforming to and merging into the vdaring' portion i3 of the stem. and reduced at the other end, as shown at 20, to tit closely into the space between the enlarged portion 1T of the sleeve and the cylindrical portion of the stem.

Fitting through the reduced portion Q0 ot the lip cup is a threaded pin 2l, the inner end ot the pin fitting in the slot ot the stem, the pin and slot coacting to limit the outward movement of the lip cup but permitting the inward movement of the. same. Located. within the enlarged portion 17 ot the sleeve and surrounding the stem is a spring 22, the spring bearing at one end upon the reduced portion i6 ot the sleeve and at the other end againstI the inner end ot the reduced portion ot the lip cup, the spring thus operating to niaintainthe lip cup yicldably in its outward position.

It will be obvious that by rotating the sleeve iti- 17, the latter may be adjusted longitudinally of the stem to increase or decrease the tension of the spring 22, and thus render the movement of the lip cup light or hard as desired, and this adjust-ment may be readilyI accomplished by the operator without removing the lip cup from his lips. By this simple arrangement it will be noted that a very simply constructed device is produced whereby the performer may vary the tones simply by increasing or decreasing the pressure of the lips upon the lip cup to thereby increase or decrease the size ot the bowl at the outer end ot the device. lt will be observed that the tlaring portions 13-19 combine to produce the usual aircup the size ot the aircup being thus readily changeable by the pressure of the lips of the performer. By increasing the pressure ot' the lips upon the lip cup against the tension ot the spring 2'), thelength ot' the air-cup is decreased, the column oit air correspondingly reduced and the pitch raised. Then by decreasing the pressure of the lips upon the lip cup, the spring 22 automatically moves the lip cup outwardly and increases the length ot' the air-cup and likewise inv creases the column ot' air and lowers the pitch.

The improved device is simple in construction. can be inexpensively manufactured, and applied without material increase in the cost to the various classes of instruments to which it attached.

'l`he adjustment et the lip cup 1S is accomplished without extra exertion on the part ot' the operator as the adjust-ments are accomplished by the natural pressure that is required while playing an instrument of this character, and thereby materially aids the performer in producing the required sound.

'.he sleeve ll' and its reduced portion 16 it will be noted are so connected to the shank and its stem that the parts are immovably coupled except. for the slight rotary movement necessary to adjust the tension of the spring 22, but as this adjustment occurs only at long intervals, the sleeve 10H17 is substantially stationary relative to the stem, while the lip cup 1S only is movable during the playing.

lilith the particular construction shown, it will be understood that when walking over rough ground, or playing under similar ad verse conditions, 'the performer may steady the mouth piece against his lips by holding the sleeve 1T between his index and middle linger, without interfering in any way .with the manipulation ot the mouth piece.

It an immovable or rigid lip cup is re quired the parts are uncoupled and the spring is removed and the sleeve iti-17 screwed to cause the upper edge to bear against the shoulder oit the lip cup 1S, as shown in Fig. 5. By this arrangement the improved device embraces in one an adjustable mouth piece and a rigid mouth piece, as will be obvious, and wit-hout structural changes in the device.

What is claimed, is:

A mouth piece for wind instruments comprising a stem externally threaded intermediate its ends and having a longitudinal bore tlaring outwardly at one end and with an external longitudinal slotI in one side, a sleeve internally threaded at one end to engage the threaded portion oitl said stem and enlarged at the other end, a lig cup slidable over said stem and with a reduced inner end extending between the stem and the sleeve, a spring within the sleeve and bearing against said lip cup, and a stop carried by said lip cup and engaging in the slot of said stem.

In testimony whereof, l aliix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY L. L'E'Nl lllltlt.

ll'vitnesses J. S. llhxinmoir, lliLri-:R A. Lnxirnnm. 

